Death of former Free Press columnist

Martin MacDonald, a former Free Press columnist and a regular contributor over many years, passed away at his home in Inverness this week. He was 78.

Mr MacDonald was born and raised in Achachork just outside Portree and was one of the finest journalists of his generation, writing and broadcasting in Gaelic and in English.

He started his career as Skye correspondent for the ‘Inverness Courier’ and ‘Oban Times’ and went on to write a weekly Gaelic column for the Free Press.

He was also well known for his Gaelic broadcasting work and was heavily involved in many of the ground-breaking current affairs programmes of the 1970s and 1980s. He also wrote ‘Skye Camanachd – A Century Remembered’, a history of shinty on Skye.

He joined the BBC in 1965 and was appointed manager of BBC Highland in the 1980s. However, his first love was always writing, particularly local Highland history. Up until very recently he penned a weekly Gaelic column for the ‘Press and Journal’.

Mr MacDonald was pre-deceased by his wife, Catriona, who was from South Uist. He leaves behind a daughter, Seonaid, and son Niall Iain, who followed his father’s footsteps into Gaelic broadcasting.